Publisher: Disney/Hyperion Books
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 02/03/2009
ISBN-13: 9780786851416
ISBN-10: 0786851414

Eleanor Roosevelt’s face looks out at you with a deep and powerful sense of purpose on the wordless cover of the book Eleanor Quiet No More by Doreen Rappaport. Across the opening pages is her quote, "Do something every day that scares you." I have always admired this woman, an unhappy, quiet, insecure and unloved child who became our most socially and politically active and controversial First Lady. Through a series of quotes we witness her rising strength, her dedication in championing civil rights and the rights of children to become Citizen of the World.

Publisher: Warner Home Video
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 06/19/2007
UPC: 00794051299628

Simon Schama says of his series on DVD Power of Art "This is not a saunter through the gallery on a drowsy Sunday afternoon, a Grand Tour of Beauty through the ages. Instead, it is a descent into the volcano of creative imagination, into the fires where some of the greatest things humans have ever wrought were fashioned." Yes, this is not the typical approach to art history. Riveting, live action portrayals of 8 tempestuous artists, focus on the moment when that one masterpiece was conceived and born. Caravaggio, Bernini, Rembrandt, David, Turner, Van Gogh, Picasso and Rothko.

Publisher: Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 06/17/2008
UPC: 00024543519317

This is a great action-packed TV show. Michael Westin was fired from his black ops spy job. He wants to know why. In the mean time he helps people who are in trouble. This show is quirky and funny as Michael plays different characters and narrates how to con the criminals.

Publisher: Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 02/06/2007
UPC: 00024543219897

Roll bounce is a super fun roller-skating movie with an adorable cast complete with 70’s nostalgia. My favorite part of this movie is watching everyone skate. They have skills! I can only hope that someday I will be able to skate like them. The extras on the DVD are fun to watch too; the cast at skate school and the tryouts for skate teams that compete in the movie.

Publisher: Chronicle Books
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 04/16/2008
ISBN-13: 9780811859240
ISBN-10: 081185924X

A delightful story, told through pictures, of a little girl and her interaction with a wave. She plays with the wave, she makes faces at the wave, and the wave keeps coming back. It reminds me of when I was a kid and used to go to the beach and play in the waves.

Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 12/26/2006
ISBN-13: 9781416925170
ISBN-10: 1416925171

Mr. Pusskins. He has what you would call “cattitude.” His owner, Emily, takes great care of him. She brushes him, pets him and best of all, loves him. Mr. Pusskins could care less. He feels it is time to move on in this great big world, but I’m afraid things on the other side of the fence just aren’t what he would expect them to be. I love that Mr. Pusskins can dial home when he wants to but all he can do is meow. The illustrator has done a fabulous job of giving Mr. Pusskins personality.

First Chapter  

Publisher: Hyperion Books for Children
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 01/06/2009
ISBN-13: 9781423114376
ISBN-10: 142311437X

Naked mole rat is just that, a naked mole rat. Wilbur lives in a community with other naked mole rats, but he finds that he likes to get dressed in whatever outfit he chooses, whether it is a tuxedo or a clown suit. Unfortunately the other naked mole rats don’t approve. Wilbur is called before the great Grand-pah, will he get in trouble? And what should he wear? I enjoyed this book very much and thought it was very funny.

Publisher: Little, Brown, and Co.
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 05/17/2005
ISBN-13: 9780316745468
ISBN-10: 0316745464

The Hummingbird’s Daughter is the fictional account of the life of Teresa Urrea, also known as Santa Teresa de Cabora, who at the young age of 19, Porfirio Diaz named the most dangerous girl in Mexico. She was a curandera, a healer, who rose to saint hood in the eyes of the indigenous people of Northern Mexico during the Porfiriato era. Her childhood, rebellious nature, healing practices, and ideas about indigenous rights are all woven into this beautifully written novel.

First Chapter  

Publisher: Scholastic Press
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 09/01/2008
ISBN-13: 9780545037372
ISBN-10: 0545037379

Using photographs of children and effortless text to describe the places where hope resides this book provides a great introduction to the intangible concept of hope for children.

Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 01/01/2009
ISBN-13: 9780061253645
ISBN-10: 0061253642

From her five mile walk to a "colored school in the darkness" to "hundreds then thousands white and black" marching in Alabama the simple poetry and stunning paintings in this book are woven together to tell the story of Coretta Scott. Kadir Nelson, the illustrator, has published beautiful artwork in various children’s pictures books – another of my favorite books by the same illustrator is He’s got the whole world in his hands.

Publisher: Warner Home Video
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 08/27/2002
UPC: 00794051170125

I’ve been watching a lot of BBC nature documentaries lately, mainly the ones narrated by David Attenborough, who my friend calls "the cutest old man in the world". This DVD features a wonderful segment starring my favorite fastidious creature, the artistic bowerbird. To watch a clip of a bowerbird in action – and see what kind of great footage this DVD has to offer – watch this video from the BBC’s youtube account.

Publisher: Warner Home Video
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 11/13/2007
UPC: 00794051419729

I love filthy, boozy, all-around extremely unpleasant bookstore owner Bernard Black. Bernard's a bit like a reprobate John Cusack whose blood was replaced by carcinogens and cheap wine. This is clever BBC sitcom humor at its most ridiculous. Definitely watch Black Books if you like Shaun of the Dead or Arrested Development.

Publisher: Mountain Apple
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 11/29/2005
UPC: 00880604000244

When I was a kid, I used to watch subtitled dramas on the Korean channel in Chicago. My Lovely Sam-Soon captures some of the best things about Korean drama with comedy, classic “I hate you, no – I love you!” romantic tension, and extremely handsome guys like Daniel Henney to fill up your screen. Sam-Soon herself lives up to her reputation as a Bridget Jones style sweetheart; she’s gets into humiliating situations on a daily basis but knows how to respect herself when it counts.

Publisher: Wea Corp
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 01/01/2002
UPC: 00789856113521

Mirah’s music is intimate, imaginative, and a little heartbreaking. Her voice has this sweet, girlish quality to it but her lyrics are poised. The momentum of her songs tends to change mid-song to provide a sweeping orchestral feel, when she isn’t being folksy or experimenting with techno. I would recommend Mirah to fans of The Magnetic Fields or Bjork. You can also give her a listen on myspace.

Publisher: Revolver USA
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 10/25/2005
UPC: 00751937511922

Quintron’s the kind of solo artist who invents his own instruments and puts on puppet shows between songs – you can even see Miss Pussycat’s puppet shows on the DVD that comes with this CD. Harsh yet catchy dance music with a custom electronic drum and a raspy organ/synth combo. If the above description sounds intriguing, you can check out his myspace to hear what I’m talking about.

Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers/ginee seo books
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 01/06/2009
ISBN-13: 9781416935407
ISBN-10: 1416935401

In this book Charles R. Smith Jr interprets Langston Hughes simple and eloquent poem with rich and vivid photographs that jump off the page. It is an utterly beautiful book that begs to be shared!

Publisher: Dial Books for Young Readers
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 01/22/2009
ISBN-13: 9780803730588
ISBN-10: 0803730586

The story of humanitarian Greg Mortenson’s quest to promote education and literacy, especially for girls in remote areas of the world, is truly an inspirational one. This book, written for kids, is a simplified account of his experiences written about in the bestseller Three Cups of Tea and gives a taste of Dr. Greg’s remarkable story.

Publisher: Disney/Hyperion Books
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 02/03/2009
ISBN-13: 9780786851416
ISBN-10: 0786851414

Here is a simple telling of Eleanor Roosevelt’s life that captures the essence of this interesting woman. Beautiful illustrations complement this simple biography, and thought provoking quotes help bring her alive in these pages. On the inside cover is this quote from Eleanor, "Do something every day that scares you."

Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 09/23/2008
ISBN-13: 9781416958086
ISBN-10: 1416958088

The beautiful words of Bob Dylan’s song are interpreted in this book illustrated by Paul Rogers. For me, looking at this book brought back a nice memory of a road trip. Driving in Arizona and listening to Dylan music with a dear friend, who is Bob Dylan obsessed, is the very reason this book caught my attention. So for my friend, I say, "May you build a ladder to the stars, and climb on every rung, may you stay forever young. May your heart always be joyful, may your song always be sung, may you stay forever young."

Publisher: Bloomsbury
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 04/29/2008
ISBN-13: 9781599902456
ISBN-10: 1599902451

Children created poetry inspired by photographs of kids at play around the world. It’s an interesting compilation that celebrates diversity, creativity, and the simple joy of childhood – yay!